Mitchell Parish

Mitchell Parish (born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky; July 10, 1900 – March 31, 1993) was an American lyricist, notably as a writer of songs for stage and screen.

Biography Parish was born to a Jewish family in Lithuania, Russian Empire in July 1900. His family emigrated to the United States, arriving on February 3, 1901 aboard the when he was less than a year old. They settled first in Louisiana where his paternal grandmother had relatives, but later moved to New York City, where he grew up on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and received his education in the public schools.

He attended Columbia University and N.Y.U. and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. He eventually abandoned the notion of practicing law to become a songwriter. He served his apprenticeship as a writer of special material for vaudeville acts, and later established himself as a writer of songs for stage, screen and numerous musical revues. By the late 1920s, Parish was a well-regarded Tin Pan Alley lyricist in New York City.

His best-known works include the lyrics to songs such as "Stardust", "Sweet Lorraine", "Deep Purple", "Stars Fell on Alabama", "Sophisticated Lady", the translation to English lyrics of "Volare" and "Blue Skirt Waltz", "Moonlight Serenade", "Mr. Ghost Goes to Town", "Sleigh Ride", "One Morning in May", and "Louisiana Fairy Tale",

In 1949, Parish added lyrics to bandleader Al Goodman's tune "The Allen Stroll", which was played as radio comedian Fred Allen took a stroll down "Allen's Alley", a featured segment of Allen's weekly show. The new song, "Carousel of Love", premiered on The Fred Allen Show on April 4, 1949. It was sung by the DeMarco Sisters and played by Al Goodman and his Orchestra.

In 1950, he wrote lyrics to Leroy Anderson's "The Syncopated Clock". In 1951, he wrote the English lyrics of the French song "Maître Pierre" which was written in 1948 by Henri Betti (music) and Jacques Plante (lyrics). The title song became "The Windmill Song" and the song was recorded by The Andrews Sisters with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra.

He participated in the episode of To Tell the Truth aired on December 25, 1956, as a challenger.

In 1972, he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He is the recipient of their Johnny Mercer Award.

Song lyrics (selected) Song title Composer Year Notable recording Label All I Need is You (English lyrics, translated from French, written by Henri Contet) All My Love (subtitle: "Bolero"). (English lyrics, translated from French, original lyrics by Henri Contet) Paul Durand 1950 Patti Page (1950) Mercury Records (catalog number #5455) Blue Tango (instrumental composition, for orchestra) Leroy Anderson 1951 (written), 1952 (published) Instrumental version recorded by Leroy Andersen (c. 1951/1952) Decca Records (catalogue number; 27875) Blue Skirt Waltz Carolina Rolling Stone Carousel of Love Deep Purple (composition for piano, Parish wrote lyrics in 1938) Peter Derose 1933 Larry Clinton and His Orchestra, featuring Bea Wain (23 December 1938) Victor Records Is That Religion? Maceo Pinkard 1930 The Lamp Is Low Peter Derose, Bert Shefter 1930s (1) Mildred Bailey (April 24, 1939) (2) Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with vocal by Jack Leonard (May 1, 1939) Vocalion Records (catalogue number #4845) (2) Victor Records (catalogue number. 26259) Louisiana Fairy Tale (written with J. Fred Coots) Haven Gillespie 1935 Fats Waller Moonlight Serenade Glenn Miller 1939 Glenn Miller (1939) Mr. Ghost Goes to Town One Morning in May Hoagy Carmichael 1933 Hoagy Carmichael, recorded October 10, 1933 Victor Records Organ Grinder's Swing (written with Irving Mills) Will Hudson 1936 Jimmy Lunceford and Orchestra Riverboat Shuffle Hoagy Carmichael, Irving Mills and Dick Voynow 1924 Bix Beiderbecke and The Wolverines Ruby (theme song from film Ruby Gentry) Heinz Roemheld 1952 Les Baxter and His Orchestra (featuring harmonica solo by Danny Welton) (1953) Sleigh Ride Leroy Anderson 1948 Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops Orchestra (1949) RCA Red Seal Records Sometime Glenn Miller, Chummy MacGregor, Mitchell Parish 1939 Glenn Miller RCA Victor Sophisticated Lady Duke Ellington Stairway to the Stars Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli Glenn Miller and His Orchestra featuring Ray Eberle (recorded May 9, 1939) Stardust Hoagy Carmichael 1927 Hoagy Carmichael and His Pals Stars Fell on Alabama Frank Perkins 1934 Guy Lombardo Orchestra, featuring Carmen Lombardo performing vocals Decca Records (catalogue number #104) Sweet Lorraine Cliff Burwell 1928 Nat King Cole Capitol Records The Syncopated Clock Leroy Anderson 1945 Leroy Anderson recorded in 1950 Decca Records Volare (Nei blu di Pinto di blu) Domenico Modugno 1 February 1958 The Windmill Song (original French lyrics by Jacques Plante) Henri Betti 1948 The Andrews Sisters, featuring Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra

Work on Broadway Continental Varieties (1935) - revue - featured lyricist Lew Leslie's Blackbirds of 1939 (1939) - revue - performer Earl Carroll's Vanities of 1940 (1940) - revue - featured lyricist Bubbling Brown Sugar (1976) - revue - featured lyricist Sophisticated Ladies (1981) - featured lyricist for "Sophisticated Lady" Stardust (1987) - revue - lyricist

Death Parish died in 1993 in Manhattan, New York at the age of 92. He was buried in Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York.